Dear Young Married Couple

💍 What if a better marriage has less to do with finding the right person and more to do with becoming the right person?

Pastor Bill and Stephanie Parkey join Adam and Karissa for a practical, Bible-centered conversation about the attitudes that make marriages thrive. From learning to apologize without keeping score to rebuilding trust, serving without being asked, and making your spouse feel genuinely valued, these principles challenge the way we approach everyday married life.'

You'll walk away with simple ways to strengthen your connection, communicate more intentionally, and create a marriage where both people feel loved, safe, and understood. And yes, there's homework to put it all into practice!

Resources:

DYMC Cruise (Black Friday Sale Incoming)

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/dymc-cruise

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👙🎁 Is lingerie at a bridal shower inappropriate for Christians? Are we letting others into the marriage bed by inviting them to celebrate with such gifts?

Adam and Karissa tackle this surprisingly controversial question and unpack what Scripture actually teaches about the marriage bed, godly sexual mentorship, and celebrating intimacy within marriage.

From the Song of Solomon to Titus 2, discover why preparing a bride for married life can be a beautiful act of discipleship, and how we can raise the next generation to embrace God’s design for sex with confidence instead of shame.

Resources:

prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

Counseling with Adam and Karissa:

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/counseling

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🧠 What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want is a belief you’ve never stopped to question?

In this episode, Adam and Karissa unpack six powerful beliefs that can reshape the way you handle anxiety, navigate marriage, pursue your purpose, and show up in the world.

Resources:

- The Integrity Project – Learn more about Adam’s men’s groups focused on sexual integrity

- prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

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💔 Can you love God deeply and still be angry with Him? When life takes a devastating turn, it’s hard to reconcile a good God with a world full of suffering.

Adam is not afraid to tackle questions that many Christians are afraid to ask. Listen in as he uses his background in philosophy and theology to explore free will, God’s sovereignty, and the hope of eternity. If you’ve ever wrestled with “Why, God?” this conversation will meet you in the middle of your questions and remind you that you don’t have to have every answer to keep trusting Him.

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🙏🏼 Ever feel like you’re carrying the weight of your child’s entire spiritual path while constantly refereeing daily household chaos? Listen in as Dr. Charles Fay joins Karissa and Adam to completely revamp the way we think about modern parenting.

We'll unpack why forced behavioral compliance falls short of true heart transformation, and how allowing kids to navigate affordable mistakes today builds self-reliant, spiritually grounded adults who take true ownership of their faith tomorrow.

Resources:

LoveandLogic.com

https://www.loveandlogic.com/pages/charles-fay?srsltid=AU7gw4U4buhxXfKT2YEQKu2qgoi2ts2UEUPOKrImuD5HtRF2dwHX-lGk

Book: Raising Spiritually Strong Kids

https://www.loveandlogic.com/products/raising-spiritually-strong-kids-book?srsltid=AU7gw4U2My06iARtf24fN2Nh3TLiROA5rhtbc6iDwtwwTTYRRhOU2Sgw

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❤️‍🩹🤷‍♂️ Are you and your spouse struggling to find a physical rhythm after a season of broken trust and rebuilt boundaries? Let's start by tossing out those restrictive labels of "high" and "low" libido and replace it with a different concept.

Resources:

Sexpectations Card Deck:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/DearYoungMarriedCouple/page/3166BD9F-FD56-46B5-80D5-F5C64710F492?lp_context_asin=B083RKJ2TM&lp_context_query=sexpectations+card+deck&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandlogo_sto&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ast_store_XEDRXVMBGX8F6TRZJCNT

If you have a scenario you want us to tackle on air, drop us a voice message via SpeakPipe or send an email to hello@dearyoungmarriedcouple.com!

https://www.speakpipe.com/DearYoungMarriedCouple

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😵‍💫 What happens when the blessing you prayed for brings unexpected sadness, stress, or loneliness? We had Melissa Miller on the podcast to explore the emotional complexity of marriage, adoption, relocation, new parenthood, and other life transitions that can be wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. Let's unpack why gratitude doesn’t cancel out grief, how to support a spouse who is struggling, and how prayer, walking, validation, and patience can help us find steadiness in a season of change. Resources: Melissa's Book: https://www.melissamillerwriter.com/butiprayedforthis prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

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🎙️💬 Get ready for an unfiltered, listener-driven Q&A where we tackle your most vulnerable relationship hurdles! We dive deep into navigating culture clashes at home, de-escalating arguments with a highly sensitive spouse, and handling the heavy reality of lacking physical attraction to your spouse.

Resources:

Intercultural Marriage w/ Tiffany & Jonathan Bonilla

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-young-married-couple/id1494555036?i=1000483159611

Shop our card decks & book:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/DearYoungMarriedCouple/page/F43B8EB3-1B18-40CF-8510-B409AE625D90?lp_asin=B07PMYDMV3&ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandlogo_sto

After Sex Guide FREE PDF:

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/Aftersex

prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

SPEAK Pipe: Record an anonymous question

https://www.speakpipe.com/DearYoungMarriedCouple

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This is an old episode that you guys loved, so we're bringing it back!

Adam and Karissa recorded this when they had just finished EntreLeadership Summit where they heard Patrick Lencioni speak. His book "5 Dysfunctions of a Team" is so powerful and SO APPLICABLE to marriage, so we figured we'd share our reflections on these dynamics with you!

You can grab his book here: https://amzn.to/3zAKBhY

Stay in conversation with us on IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple or on our website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com

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🔥💍 Which pieces of “good marriage advice” are actually helpful, and which ones might quietly make your marriage worse?

We are back to rate the advice YOU submitted, from “the first year is the hardest” to “forgive and forget,” “marriage is 50/50,” and even the controversial question of whether a husband should be allowed to golf whenever he wants. 😅 Along the way, we'll unpack the nuance behind each one and share a better way to think about communication, sex, forgiveness, prioritizing your marriage, and loving your spouse wholeheartedly. Some advice gets an A, some gets an F, and a few sound wise until you look a little closer.

Resources:

Marriage vs. Kids: Who Gets Priority?

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-young-married-couple/id1494555036?i=1000766204889

prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

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😬 Not all marriage advice deserves an A. In this episode, Adam and Karissa put seven common pieces of marriage advice to the test - from “marriage is all about compromise” to “happy wife, happy life” - and give each one a grade. Some sound wise but need a little more nuance, some are surprisingly solid, and a few might actually be setting couples up for disaster.

Come find out which advice gets an A… and which ones newlyweds should stop being told. 👀

Resources:

prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

REALIZATIONS Conversation Card Deck

https://a.co/d/0deFmRMl

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Most of us have confidence all WRONG (especially in today's self-righteous and entitled culture.) Why do you think even highly successful people starve for validation? How secure are you in the possibility of failure? Let's explore the difference between chasing approval, trying to manufacture your own worth, and receiving an identity that doesn't have to be earned.

Resources:

Monthly Live Date Night at DYMC:

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/monthlylivedatenight

prEquipped: The DYMC Premarital Course

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/prequipped

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We've all done it... We've labeled ourselves and our spouse as the "high/low drive" one. We assume one party can get it on at any given time and the other just generally isn't in the mood. The truth is, it's much more complex than that. In this episode, we're gonna share a simple tool that will take you minutes to complete, but give you so much insight into each others' desire for sex.

Resources:

The Integrity Project led by Adam King

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/porn-recovery-focus-group

Dear Young Married Couple: The Book!

https://a.co/d/0dUFnTrR

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This is an episode we aired in 2022 and it really resonated with you all. It's a message that doesn't have an expiration date: How to Repair After an Argument

It's not always easy to know the steps to take to repair after a nuclear argument. Join Adam + Karissa as they share how you can repair + the steps to do so!

Join us for the next DYMC Monthly Live Date Night where we dig into some of these topics with you LIVE for 90 minutes this month!

Stay in conversation with us on IG: @dearyoungmarriedcouple or on our website: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com

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🛡️📱 When should "the" conversation start, and what happens if we wait too long? Do you know the danger of some of the seemingly "innocent" games your kids are playing online? Hear author and educator Kristen Jenson unpack one of the most important parenting conversations of our time.

Whether your child is a toddler, tween, or somewhere in between, this episode will equip you with confidence, clarity, and actionable tools to help your kids navigate today’s digital landscape with wisdom and resilience.

Resources:

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures

https://a.co/d/064wY07d

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Jr.

https://a.co/d/0asre2Lz

Guide for Girls

https://a.co/d/0iejcKVq

having the talkS Card Deck

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/havingthetalks

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You can genuinely care about your spouse, say all the “right” things, and still leave them feeling completely alone.

In this episode, we explore why empathy can sometimes feel fake, how your spouse’s emotions stir up emotions in you, and the subtle difference between holding space and simply trying to make the moment end.

What looks like listening may actually be fixing, defending, or even overvalidating. So how do you stay present without becoming your spouse’s therapist, punching bag, or problem solver?

The answer may change the way you handle emotional conversations.

GET OUR NEW BOOK: https://a.co/d/0fjgps4u

JOIN US THIS MONTH ON TOUR: https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/marriage-toolbox-tour

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🏡 We’re moving and chasing a God-sized dream.

This isn’t a story about running away from California. It’s about moving toward the life, ministry, and vision we believe God has been leading us toward for years. We talk about the grief of leaving our home, church, family, and friends; the “breadcrumbs” that helped us recognize God’s direction; and why Nashville gives us a better opportunity to serve couples without sacrificing time with our own family.

We’re also sharing more about our dream of building the Married Couple Refuge—a beautiful retreat center created to provide rest, healing, and support for couples who spend their lives serving others.

This is a bittersweet conversation about calling, obedience, family, and the courage it takes to choose between something good and something else God may be calling you toward.

🚚 Save big on your interstate move with Moving Yourself:
https://www.movingyourself.com/pages/dymc

📘 Order Dear Young Married Couple:
https://a.co/d/00W5jefI

⭐ Leave the book an Amazon review:
https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=B0H7BJRHQC

🎟️ Join us on the Marriage Toolbox Book Tour:
https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/marriage-toolbox-tour

📲 Follow our move and the next chapter of DYMC:
https://www.instagram.com/dearyoungmarriedcouple

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📖 TODAY'S THE DAY! Hard copies are available on Amazon! You can get it on your doorstep as early as tomorrow. After years of conversations, counseling, rewriting, and refining, we are pulling back the curtain on what creating Dear Young Married Couple taught them about strengthening our own marriage.

Whether you're building a dream together or simply trying to build a stronger relationship, this conversation will leave you with practical encouragement you can start applying today.

Resources:

📘 Dear Young Married Couple: Letters & Tools for the Fights, the Fun, the Sex, and the Soulwork (available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover on Amazon)

https://a.co/d/0eBcyQkX

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🤖 Is AI a good substitute for marriage counseling? We say no (shocking, right?) 😆

ChatGPT is designed to reinforce assumptions, whether they're accurate or not, and deliver confident answers that aren't always wise. In this episode, we unpack why turning to AI for relationship advice can sometimes deepen misunderstandings instead of bringing healing.

That doesn't mean AI is all bad, though. Used wisely, it can actually be a helpful tool for personal growth. We explore where AI can add value, where it falls short, and how to tell the difference. If you've ever asked AI what to do about your spouse (or you've been tempted to), this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Resources:

📍 Join our BOOK TOUR!

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/marriage-toolbox-tour

📚 Pre-order the DYMC e-book (hard copies release on 7/7)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6D4BXLR?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1EYS9AHJEH4TQEQXVE5J

💻 LIVE Book Club release party!

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/monthlylivedatenight

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📖 A dream years in the making is finally becoming reality! Dear Young Married Couple: Letters & Tools for the Fights, the Fun, the Sex, and the Soulwork is available for pre-order in the Kindle version. Hard copies drop 7/7!

Pre-order the ebook here and get the audiobook for FREE when it's available!

https://a.co/d/02yhAD8O

See where we're headed on our book tour! We'd love to meet you !🚗

https://www.dearyoungmarriedcouple.com/marriage-toolbox-tour

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